Prince William Apparently Felt "Blindsided" By Meghan & Harry's Big Announcement
Tensions are running high in the United Kingdom. After Prince Harry and Meghan dropped a shocking announcement about their royal duties, the Palace released an icy response that had royal fans scratching their heads. Now, it's reported Prince William and Duchess Kate weren't warned ahead of time about the Sussexes big move, and Prince William's reported reaction to Meghan and Harry stepping back from their royal duties is a lot to take in.
On Jan. 8, Harry and Meghan posted a lengthy message on Instagram with some very big news about changes they're making in the new year, writing:
After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment.
They went on to reveal they'll be splitting their time between the U.K. and North America moving forward as they work to become financially independent and build up their "charitable entity."
The Palace's response was not enthusiastic, to say the least. "Discussions with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage," a Buckingham Palace representative said in a statement. "We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through."
Prince William's reported reaction wasn't much better. “William was blindsided by Harry and Meghan’s decision and statement,” a source told Us Weekly. “William is incredibly hurt, but at the same time he has his own family to focus on and is trying to move forward with his life.” Buckingham and Kensington Palace did not respond to Elite Daily's request for comment on Us Weekly's report.
While William and Harry were once very close, talk of a reported rift between the brothers has been swirling for months, and Us Weekly's source says the hard feelings are still present. "It’s sad because when they were younger, William would be the first person Harry would go to with big news like this," they said.
Prince Harry addressed the rift in ITV's October 2019 documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey. “Part of this role and part of this job, this family, being under the pressure that it’s under, inevitably stuff happens,” Harry explained. “But look, we’re brothers, we’ll always be brothers. We’re certainly on different paths at the moment but I’ll always be there for him and as I know he’ll always be there for me.”
While things between the brothers may be complicated at the moment, at least — like Prince Harry said — they'll always have each other's back.
